Flying-machine.



S. V. JAMES.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

1,045,708., Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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S. V. JAMES.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

1345,70, Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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UNITED' @TATES PATENT @FFICE.

SYDNEY V. JAMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HAROLD F. MCCORMICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed June 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,468.

.T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY V. JAMES, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in FlyingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to flying machines or air ships and is of particular service in connection with that class of air ships in which extended surfaces are employed as buoying elements that cooperate with suitable propelling mechanism to effect progress of the ships through the air and that also: cooperate with suitable steering mechanism to determine the direction in which the ships are to travel with reference to the vertical and the horizontal. These buoying elements are termed aeroplanes whether they lie in true planes, geometrically speaking, or are deflected with reference to true planes as by being curved or bulged in section.

My invention has for its general object the provision of a main buoying and stabilifying aeroplane adapted to cooperate with propelling and steering mechanism to effect flight of the machine without the aid of distantly located auxiliary aeroplanes and without the aid of manipulated stabilifying aeroplane portions which are now commonly employed for balanclng purposes In connection with main aeroplanes whose main function is a buoying function.

By means of my invention, one aeroplane may well be adapted to perform all of the buoying and stabilifying functions, though ofcourse I do not limit myself to a flying all embodiments of my invention, to the use of main aeroplanes whose dimensions fore and aft are in excess of their transverse dimensions.

My invention is well adapted to the construction of monoplane flying machines, though I do not restrict myself to this class of flying machines.

I will explain my invent-ion by a description of some embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will thereafter point out the invention more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are respectively sectional views on lines 4: 4, 55,66,77,88,99,101Oand11110 f Fig. 1; Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view indicating the preferred general curvature extending along the fore and aft dimension of the main aeroplane taken at a median line extending fore and aft; Fig. 13 is a side ele vation of another form of flying machine;

Fig. 14 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is a View of a part of the steering mechanism that is employed to govern the direction in which the machine is to travel over the horizontal; Fig. 16 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 13; Fig. 17 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the rear portions of the machine as seen in Fig. 14; Fig. 18 shows the transverse curvature as it exists at various points throughout the greater part of the length of the aeroplane, for example, as indicated at lines 18 18 in Fig. 13; Fig. 19 illustrates the curvature that occurs at the rear part of the machine on line 19 19 of Fig. 13; Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic view indicating the general curvature extending along the fore and aft dimension of the structure shown in Fig. 13 taken at a median line extending fore and aft; Fig. 21 diagrammatically indicates a controlling mechanism that may be employed; and Fig. 22 is a View in detail of a structural part indicated in Fig. 17.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The aeroplane a constitutes a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane which, by the designs illustrated, is adapted sufliciently to perform buoying and stabilifying functions as to enable the progress of the machine in desired directions through the air when cooperating with the steering mechanism and (when the ship is being propelled) with the propelling mechanism. Said aeroplane is shown as having its under surface bulged downwardly throughout a major portion of the aeroplane as it extends fore and aft and between a point forward (as b) and a point aft (as c) and downwardly deflected in a fore and aft direction at a rear part of the aeroplane throughout a minor portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane as indicated, whereby the aeroplane is not only properly buoyed but is also longitudinally stabilifled without the aid of outsetting auxiliary stabilifying aeroplanes. The aeroplane a is shown as being imperforate and as having all of its surface portions in continuous connection, but I do not wish to be limited to these characteristics. The aeroplane is bulged downwardly transversely to and preferably throughout its fore and aft dimension as indicated in Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive in connection with the structure shown in Fig. 1 and as indicated in Figs. 18 and 19 in connection with the structure shown in Fig. 18. The transverse bulging illustrated is of great importance where my invention is embodied in a structure employing an aeroplane whose fore and aft dimension is in excess of its transverse dimension, as such bulging is adapted sufliciently to stabilify such aeroplane without the aid of auxiliary aeroplanes that are required to be skilfully manipulated to maintain lateral stability, a flying machine constructed in accordance with my invention not requiring the use of auxiliary manipulated stabilifying structures. While the transverse downward bulging is of great importance in connection with a flying machine having a main aeroplane whose dimension fore and aft is in excess of its transverse dimension, such bulging, when associated with the bulging along the fore and aft dimension such as is shown in Figs. 12 and 20, is of much importance irrespective of the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the aeroplane as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. A propelling motor d and a propeller e driven thereby are indicated at the forward end of the flying machine. A rudder mechanism including a vane f that may be oscillated and a vane 9 that may be stationary is illustrated in each of the machines shown, for the purpose of defining the direction that the machine may travel over the horizontal. Rudder vanes h are employed to define the degree of inclination of the machine or to effect the general horizontal disposition of the machine according to the adjustment that is imparted to these rudder vanes. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for shifting the positions of the rudder vanes. I have shown a steering device that includes a shaft 2' that is connected by means of cords is (shown by dot and dash lines for the sake of clearness) with the arms Z rigidly secured to the shaft m that is rigidly secured to the rudder vanes h. A movement of the shaft 2' toward and from the operator in a fore and aft direction will occasion movement of the vanes it about their commonaxis, thereby to determine whether or not the machine shall occupy a horizontal position or shall be inclined upwardly or downwardly with respect to the horizontal. A steering wheel n is rotatably mounted upon and with respect to the shaft 2' and this wheel is connected with'a cord 0 (shown by a dot and dash line for the sake of clearness) that in turn is connected with the arms 79 rigidly secured to the rudder Vane f, whereby a rotation of the wheel a will adjust the position of the vane f for the purpose which has been set forth. As I have designed the machine, I employ a vertical fin 9 extending fore and aft and located at the forward portion of the machine for an auxiliary stabilifler, to the use of which, however, I do not wish to be limited. The center of gravity is preferably located at the points 0 (Figs. 1 and 13) and the machine may be provided with wheels .9. In the structure shown in Fig. 1, there is illustrated a pair of lifting planes t which are-there employed to supplement the lifting action of the aeroplane a, though their use may be dispensed with.

l/Vhen the machine is in flight, the under surface of the aeroplane a lnipinges upon the air to secure buoyancy and stability. The buoyancy and stability fore and aft are obtained as a consequence of the curvature or bulging of the aeroplane lengthwise thereof and without the aid of distantly located subaeroplanes. The lateral stability is secured by reason of the described transverse curvature of the aeroplane and is secured without the aid of any manipulated auxiliary stabilifying aeroplanes.

While I have herein shown apparatus in which the use of manipulated auxiliary stabilifying aeroplanes is dispensed with, I do not of course exclude from the scope of my invention flying machines constructed as herein set forth that may have arbitrarily added thereto manually adjustable stabilifying aeroplane portions.

While Ihave herein shown and particularly described two embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown, as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, but, having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A flying machine, including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having its under surface bulged downwardly throughout a major portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane and between a point forward and a point aft, deflected downwardly in a fore and aft direction at a rear part of the aeroplane throughout a minor portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane, and bulged downwardly transversely to the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

2. A flying machine, including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having its under surface bulged downwardly throughout a major portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane and between a point forward and a point aft, deflected clownwardly in a fore and aft direction at a rear part of the aeroplane throughout a minor portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane, and bulged downwardly transversely to and substantially throughout the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

3. A flying machine, including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having a forward portion of its under surface bulged downwardly along its fore and aft dimension, deflected downwardly in a fore and aft direction at a rear part of the aeroplane, and bulged downwardly transversely to the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

at. A flying machine, including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having a forward portion of its under surface bulged downwardly along its fore and aft dimension, deflected downwardly in a fore and aft direction at a rear part of the aeroplane, and bulged downwardly transversely to and substantially throughout the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

5. A flying machine including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having a main portion and a minor portion extending rearwardly of said main portion, the under surface of said main portion being bulged downwardly along its fore and aft dimension and bulged downwardly transversely to the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

6. A flying machine including a buoying and stabilifying aeroplane the greater dimension of which runs lengthwise of the machine, said aeroplane having a main portion and a minor portion extending rearwardly of said main portion, said main portion having its under surface bulged downwardly along its fore and aft dimension and bulged downwardly transversely to the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane and substantially throughout the fore and aft dimension of the aforesaid bulging in the fore and aft direction of the aeroplane.

7. A flying machine including an aeroplane whose fore and aft dimension is in excess of its transverse dimension, and having its under surface bulged downwardly transversely to and throughout the fore and aft dimension, said aeroplane also having its under surface bulged downwardly throughout a major portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane at the front of the latter, and the rear portion of the aeroplane being deflected downwardly and rearwardly throughout a minor portion of the fore and aft dimension of the aeroplane.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twenty-eighth day of June,

SYDNEY V. JAMES. Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG,

R. E. ATHERTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

